WEEKENDING | WHOLE WHEAT APPLE MUFFINS

Another mellow weekend, another muffin recipe. We usually head to Minneapolis on the weekends to get our coffee shop/big city fix, but lately, between freezing weather and busyness, we haven't been able to make the trek. So to replace my obligatory chocolate croissant that I get with my latte, I have been making muffins every Sunday. These whole wheat apple muffins from Smitten Kitchen were very, very, very good. Want proof? I made a half batch and they were all gone before 3 pm. It's a super simple recipe and the results are damn delicious, especially with a nice chunk of butter (I will never apologize for my love of butter). 

WEEKENDING | IT'S TOO COLD EDITION

As I write this post, the current temperature is - 12. Ain't that lovely? Oh wait no, no it isn't. It's horrifying. Negative highs this weekend kept me securely indoors for two of the three days of this long weekend. Day one I managed to see "Silver Linings Playbook" (which was fantastic) and to grab provisions for hibernation (some food, a lot of wine). The rest of the weekend was spent watching movies, reading, making these muffins (soooo good), and experimenting with our new pour cover coffee setup. Have I ever mentioned that the boyfriend and I are coffee snobs? It's true. With the help of some amazon gift cards we were able to buy everything we needed to nerd out making delicious (and strong!) coffee. 

Hope everybody had a great (and much warmer) weekend! Is it March yet?

WEEKENDING

Well, in case you haven't heard, there's a lot of snow up north. I woke up to 6 inches on Sunday morning and then it kept snowing all.day. In the end we have a little over 11 inches! Needless to say, I am hibernating. Luckily we were able to run down to Minneapolis Saturday for some coffee, donuts, and a quick grocery run before the storm hit. Yesterday was spent snowed in with Game of Thrones reruns and some good books. 

This week I will be making an effort to stay warm, finish reading some books, and getting ready for the holidays. Speaking of the holidays, I'll be handing out some gift advice on here  over the next couple of weeks (for you last minute gift buyers, like myself.) 

WEEKENDING

holiday cookies / kinfolk

Despite issuing myself a cliché "no sugar, no processed food, no junk, etc. etc. etc." challenge last week,  I failed as soon as friday evening came around. First it was a peppermint mocha at Starbucks ( Jenny, aren't you a coffee snob? I know, I know.). Then there was a plate of fast food from a place that shall not be named (but it involves "chinese" food). And finally, the nail in the coffin so to speak, was the deliciously processed sugar cookies that I bought last night. Lo and behold, I have a migraine today. But as I have recently talked about failures, I'm just going to move on and start anew this week and try (and hope) for the best. 

I received the new Kinfolk today and I'm excited to open it up (here's your obligatory, I just received Kinfolk photo. These things are all over instagram, I swear). I know that I'm not the first one to say this, but Kinfolk is a damn good magazine. It makes me feel so artisanal, intelligent, and crafty... like I could go in the woods, contemplate my existence, gather some wood, turn said wood into a cheese board, and serve my beautiful homemade cheese and jams on it. I may sound like I'm mocking the whole premise of the magazine, but with all honesty, I completely love it and always look forward to each new issue. 

WEEKENDING

coffee, coffee, and more coffee / sushi at kome / manicure

Sometimes I feel like my travels revolve around coffee... probably because they do. While back in Austin, I drank a lot of coffee, ate a lot of food, and soaked up the 70 degree weather. It was dreamy. 

I don't know about you, but I am incredibly excited for Thanksgiving! It will be my first time cooking the whole meal, and while I am intimidated (see: incredibly intimidated), I am eager to test out my skills. Happy short work week everyone! 

WEEKENDING

Well, it's cold. And as it becomes cold I become pretty useless. There's snow falling from the sky every few days and all I want to do is eat pancakes and drink coffee. And this weekend I did. But I also did some work (I know. Progress people, progress.) Here's to a productive week, lots of coffee, and the election finally being over (if I see one more ad...). 

WEEKENDING

reading / soup / lemons for cocktails 

Well it looks like fall has officially set in in these parts. We're experiencing temperatures in the 40s and while it's kind of refreshing now, I'm sure I will be tired of it pretty fast. But, on the more positive side of things, fall means some of my favorite foods. This weekend I made Butternut Squash soup and it was delicioussss. This recipe was pretty good, though wayyyyyyy underseasoned, but the texture is amazing, so rich and creamy. I'm also trying to force myself to read more. I love to read but it's easy to get distracted by the allure of the television. I'm leaving for Austin in a couple of days and I am so excited! Hope that everybody has a great week! 

WEEKENDING

This weekend was a pretty mellow one, but this pumpkin danish pretty much made up for any dullness. There's just something about a great cup of coffee (or large iced latté) and an indulgent treat (especially when pumpkin is involved) that really makes a weekend for me. Here's to a great week and to a quickly approaching trip back to Austin for Austin City Limits. I'm just a little excited. 

WEEKENDING

apple fritter / breakfast burrito / bloody mary / delicious sandwich / soaking cashews

Another weekend passed drinking coffee, eating a sweet treat or two and, of course, eating delicious food. A little bit of cooking was managed as well and the result of this beautiful corn chowder recipe was excellent. 

WEEKENDING

coffee shop reading / biscuits & gravy / bloody mary / pancakes / mia / house ogling

Another weekend spent in Minneapolis getting away from the lack of coffee shops & bookstores in St Cloud. There was an attempt to go see the Rembrandt exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, but apparently we weren't the only ones with that idea and it was sold out. Alas, we shall try next weekend. That plate of brown up there? Well, it may not look appetizing, but it was quite delicious. I'm a southern (food) gal at heart and I can't say no to biscuits and gravy. Also consumed? A bite or two of my dude's apple pancakes and a bloody mary. Can I stop for a second to talk about some of the seriously beautiful homes in Uptown Minneapolis? There are a few Victorians that are truly epic (if you're the kind of person who thinks that old homes are rad, like me). 

Here's to a great week!

quick note: seriously digging these tracks by Chrome and the Ice Queen that I found via Kate Miss. They have a Kate Bush vibe, which is always much appreciated in my book.